MKS Instruments

Senior Manager, Product Line Marketing, Optics

MKS Instruments Irvine, California, United States · $140K–$170K/yr

Semiconductor Manufacturing · 10,001+ employees

Yesterday
Principal (10+ yrs) Full-time United States
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About the role

The Senior Manager will develop and execute market-driven strategies to accelerate growth for optical product lines while serving as the voice of the customer. They will lead cross-functional teams to manage product roadmaps, commercialization, and new product introductions.

What they look for

Product marketing Optical engineering Market analysis Competitive analysis Strategic planning Product roadmap Go-to-market strategy Cross-functional leadership Business acumen Technical marketing Customer segmentation Sales enablement Pricing strategy Product launch Communication skills Presentation skills

Requirements

Candidates must have at least 10 years of experience and a bachelor's degree, with strong technical knowledge in optical engineering. Proven experience in product marketing and the ability to influence stakeholders in a matrix environment are essential.

Benefits

Health insurance Dental insurance Vision insurance 401(k) with company match Life insurance Disability insurance Paid holidays Sick time Paid vacation days Parental leave Adoption assistance Tuition reimbursement

Full description

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

As a Senior Manager, Product Line Marketing at MKS, you will partner with Sales, Engineering, Operations, Product Management, and key customers to develop and execute market-driven strategies that accelerate growth across a portfolio of advanced technology products. You will serve as the voice of the customer and market, translating industry trends, customer needs, and competitive intelligence into successful commercialization strategies, product roadmaps, and business growth initiatives. In this role, you will report to the Director of Product Marketing.

You Will Make an Impact By:

  • Developing and executing product marketing strategies that drive revenue growth, market share expansion, and customer engagement across assigned product lines.
  • Conducting market research, competitive analysis, and customer assessments to identify market opportunities, emerging technologies, and strategic growth areas.
  • Serving as the voice of the customer by gathering customer insights and translating market requirements into product strategy and roadmap recommendations.
  • Partnering closely with Engineering and Product Development teams to support new product introductions and ensure solutions align with customer and market needs.
  • Creating product positioning, value propositions, messaging, and sales enablement materials that clearly communicate product differentiation and business value.
  • Supporting the commercial organization through product training, customer presentations, pricing analysis, proposal support, and strategic opportunity development.
  • Leading cross functional reviews with Sales, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality teams to ensure successful product launches and ongoing product performance.
  • Monitoring product line performance, market dynamics, customer feedback, and competitive activity to recommend business, product, and investment priorities.
  • Building strong relationships with customers, industry partners, and internal stakeholders to identify new business opportunities and strengthen market presence.
  • Preparing and presenting business reviews, market assessments, product strategies, and growth recommendations to senior leadership.
  • Travel Requirements: Up to 30% US travel required.

Skills You Bring:

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
  • 10+ years of related experience.
  • Strong optical engineering knowledge, industry experience to enable in-depth technical discussions with customers, understand and evaluate system-level optical architectures, performance tradeoffs and effectively translate customer requirements into product and technology roadmap decisions.
  • Ability to engage credibly with customer engineering teams on topics such as optical design, imaging systems, illumination, laser beam delivery, and next-generation technology requirements.
  • Demonstrated experience in product marketing, technical marketing, strategic marketing, product line management, or a related commercial role.
  • Strong understanding of market analysis, customer segmentation, competitive positioning, and go-to-market strategy development.
  • Ability to translate customer and market needs into business strategies and product investment recommendations.
  • Experience supporting new product introductions, product launches, and commercialization initiatives.
  • Strong business acumen with experience evaluating pricing, margins, market opportunities, and growth strategies.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence customers, executives, technical teams, and commercial organizations.
  • Proven ability to lead cross functional teams and drive results in a matrix environment.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities while balancing customer needs, business objectives, and organizational resources.

Preferred Skills: (Optional)

  • Master's degree or PhD preferred - may count applicable advanced education as part of experience.
  • Experience marketing highly technical products in B2B manufacturing or technology markets.
  • Experience driving market share growth through new product introductions and customer acquisition initiatives.

Supervisory Scope: (Optional)

  • Reporting Relationships: May lead product marketing professionals or serve as a senior individual contributor with significant cross functional leadership responsibilities.
  • Financial Responsibilities: Supports product line revenue growth, pricing strategy, market expansion initiatives, and profitability objectives.

In addition to the above responsibilities, the following are considered material job duties of the position:  

  • Ability to take and follow directions and instructions. 
  • Ability to interact with other employees, customers, suppliers, vendors, or the public, in a safe, professional, and respectful manner.  
  • Access to sensitive and confidential business systems and software, personally identifying information, the company’s financial information, and/or the ability to maintain physical security and safety.
  • Because this position involves the above material job duties, trustworthiness, reliability, and good judgment also are material job duties.  

We are interested in a qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time.

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details.  MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act for Employers.

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Compensation and Benefits:  

Salary Pay Range: $140,000 to $170,000 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. 

Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].

Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.

 

Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies.  MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: accommodationsatMKS@mksinst.com .

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